Vocab: Chapters 1 & 2

If we wanna walk the walk, we gotta talk the talk!

The Mad Shop.  "Big Mouth Billy Bass."  29 Feb. 2012.  WEB
<http://www.themadshop.com.au/buy_big_mouth_billy_bass_singing_fish>

Design-  A planned arrangement of visual elements to construct an organized pattern.


Form-   When referring to objects, it is the shape and structure of a thing.  When referring to two-dimentional artworks, it is the visual aspect of composition, structure, and the work as a whole. 


Content-  An idea conveyed through the artwork that implies the subject matter, story, or information the artist communicates to the viewer.


Aesthetic-  A branch of philosophy concerned with the beautiful in art and how the viewer experiences it.


Symbols-  An element of design that communicates an idea or meaning beyond that of its literal form.


Icons-  A religious image meant to embody the actual qualities of the depicted saint.  More generally, a symbol or sign, especially one with strong emotional power.


Pictograms-  A simple pictorial sign or group of signs intended to communicate without words.


Vernacular-  A prevailing or commonplace style in a specific geographical location, group of people, or time period.


Pentimenti-  (plural)  The artist's changes or corrections sometimes evident as traces in the surface.  From the Italian and implying "the artist repents."


Critique-  A process of criticism for the purpose of evaluating and improving art and design.


Illustration-  A picture created to clarify or accompany a text.


Unity-  The degree of agreement existing among the elements in a design.


Harmony-  The pleasing combination of parts that make up a whole composition.


Representational-  An image suggestive of the appearance of an object that actually exists.


Monochromatic-  A color scheme using only one hue with varying degrees of value or intensity.


Composition-  The overall arrangement or organization of visual elements on the two-dimentional surface


Collage-  An artwork created by assembling and pasting a variety of materials onto a two-dimentional surface. 


Gestalt-  A unified configuration or pattern of visual elements whose properties cannot be derived from a simple summation of its parts.


Negative Space-  Unoccupied area or empty surrounding the objects or figures in a composition.


Proximity-  The degree of closeness in the placement of elements.


Nonobjective-  A type of artwork with absolutely no reference to, or representation of, the natural world.  The artwork is the reality.


Repetition-  Using the same visual element over again within the same composition.


Continuation-  A line or edge that continues from one form to another, allowing the eye to move smoothly through a composition.


Continuity-  The visual relationship between two or more visual designs.


Grid-  A network of horizontal and vertical intersecting lines that divide spaces and create framework of areas.


Modules-  A specific measured area or standard unit.


Rhythm-  An element of design based on the repetition of recurrent motifs.


Assemblage-  An assembly of found objects composed as a piece of sculpture.  See Collage.


Graphic-  Forms drawn or painted onto a two-dimentional surface; any illustration or design.


Analogous Colors-  A color scheme that combines several hues located next to each other on the color wheel.


Narrative-  The story that is told in the artwork.


*Vocabulary words are in order of appearance and defined by the glossary in the text Design Basics by David A. Lauer and Stephen Pentak, 8th edition.